AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine's early flu season is hitting the state hard, with more reported outbreaks than all of last season.
The Maine Center for Disease Control says there were 10 outbreaks last season. This season, there's triple that number with 27 at long-term care facilities, two in schools, one at a camp, and two at other institutions.
State Epidemiologist Stephen Sears tells the Kennebec Journal (http://bit.ly/UDjbwj ) that it's unknown whether the situation has peaked, or if it's going to get worse before it gets better. He says it's not too late to get vaccinated, because the flu season runs through spring.
States don't keep numbers of individual flu cases, but institutions like schools and nursing homes must report outbreaks to the Maine CDC.
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Information from: Kennebec Journal, http://www.kjonline.com/
